1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a media dispensing machine, and in particular to a media cassette and a media dispensing machine containing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, an automated teller machine (ATM) is installed at a location such as a bank, a convenience store and a subway station, etc. where many people pass, and a user can withdraw money from his/her bank account through the ATM with a simple operation.
The ATM includes a media cassette for storing media and a media conveying unit for conveying the media from the media cassette to a media dispensing unit, when the user inputs a withdrawal of an expected amount of money through a button operation, whereby the media stored in the media cassette are supplied to the media dispensing unit through the media conveying unit.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating the construction of a media cassette of a media dispensing machine in accordance with the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view illustrating part of the media cassette in FIG. 1.
As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, the media cassette 1 of the media dispensing machine in accordance with the conventional art includes a casing 10 having an internal space in which media (B) are loaded; a door 20 for covering the casing 10; and a dispensing means installed at a side of the casing 10 and connected to a power generating means (not shown) disposed in the media dispensing machine, for receiving the driving force of the power generating means and for dispensing the media (B) loaded in the casing 10.
The dispensing means includes a driving shaft 30 rotatably combined with both sides of the casing 10; a rotational gear 40 combined with the driving shaft 30 for receiving power generated by the power generating means through a power transmitting unit (S1) and for rotating the driving shaft 30; a pair of sub shafts 50 rotatably combined in parallel with the driving shaft 30; a gear train (G) engaged with the driving shaft 30 and the sub shafts 50 for transmitting the rotational force of the driving shaft 30 to the sub shafts 50; and conveying rollers (R) fixedly combined with the sub-shafts 50 for conveying the media loaded in the casing 10 to the media dispensing unit through a dispensing hole 11 formed at a certain side of the casing 10 according to the rotation of the sub shafts 50.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the media cassette in FIG. 1 mounted in the media dispensing machine.
In the media cassette of the media dispensing machine in accordance with conventional art, media are loaded in the casing 10, the door 20 combined with the side of the casing 10 is closed, the door is locked by a locking device (not shown), and the media cassette 1 is mounted onto a media cassette receiving unit (S) of the media dispensing machine as depicted in FIG. 3.
Herein, the power transmitting unit (S1) is installed at the media cassette receiving unit (S), and accordingly the rotational gear 40 constructing the dispensing means is connected to the power transmitting unit (S1).
In this state, the driving force is transmitted by the power transmitting unit (S1) according to an inputted signal, the driving force is transmitted to the driving shaft 30 through the rotational gear 40, and accordingly the driving shaft 30 is rotated.
When the driving shaft 30 is rotated, the rotational force of the driving shaft 30 is transmitted to the sub shafts 50 through the gear train (G), and the conveying rollers (R) combined with the sub shafts 50 are rotated with the rotation of the sub shafts 50.
With the rotation of the conveying rollers (R), the media (B) loaded in the casing 10 are conveyed to the media conveying unit through the dispensing hole 11 by being tightly contacted with the conveying rollers (R), and the media (B) conveyed to the media conveying unit are supplied to the media dispensing unit. The user can withdraw the media (B) supplied to the media dispensing unit.
However, in the conventional media cassette of the media dispensing machine, it is possible to remove the media (B) loaded in the casing 10 without opening the door 20, and accordingly the media (B) may accidentally flow out.
In more detail, when the conveying rollers (R) are rotated manually, the media (B) loaded in the casing 10 can be easily removed through the dispensing hole 11 creating the possibility of theft.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a media cassette and a media dispensing machine capable of preventing media which is loaded in a casing of the media cassette from being removed without passing through a door.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a media cassette of a media dispensing machine in accordance with the present invention includes a casing disposed in a media cassette receiving unit of a media dispensing machine; a media loading unit disposed in the casing and storing media; a driving unit installed at a certain side of the media loading unit inside the casing, operated by a power transmitting unit of the media dispensing machine for dispensing the media stored in the media loading unit; a media guiding unit installed so as to connect the driving unit with an outlet formed at the outer surface of the casing for guiding the media dispensed by the driving unit to a media conveying unit of the media dispensing machine; and a media dispense security unit for controlling the driving unit so as to operate only when the casing is installed in the media cassette receiving unit of the media dispensing machine.